Dear reader, what stirs your soul?

The act of sharing without keeping account can be very uplifting

Have you ever heard something that just sticks with you, whether you choose to remember it or not?

As it relates to Christmas and this festive, family time of year, it's always been an exciting, energetic season in my world. There's never really been any dire need or search for additional profoundness.

It walked right through the front door anyway, about two or three years ago as I remember it. It's no great discovery of mine but merely a question posed by someone I find very worth listening to.

One Sunday a few Decembers ago, Father Mark Tarrant, pastor at St. John Brebeuf parish raised this idea about the coming Christmas celebration: "What stirs your soul?"

As I recall, he didn't take credit for the theme; it was a question put to him by a colleague, something that obviously resonated.

And still does. It's become a key question stuck in my head.

The religious element can be the point but more to the heart of it, a good and decent citizen can simply ask and answer it in a personal, everyday context for himself/herself.

Of course, the answers will be many, but the one that brings so much focus to the Christmas season for me and the reason sports editor Steve Lyons agreed to share his Spirit of Christmas column space with me this week, is generosity.

The spirit of giving, especially when you are able, is one thing that puts so much meaning into the season.

We are blessed in this area, especially in the sports community, for we have many generous stories, generous people and generous events that stir our souls.

We have athletes and teams that inspire us.

We have a new team -- I'll confess that rather selfishly, after hearing Father Mark that day a few Decembers ago, it led me to wonder if we'd soon get another chance to see how an NHL team could stir the souls of Winnipeggers -- and we have plenty of new and newer toys, like arenas and stadiums and ballparks.

There are so many generous people who do so much to pump life into our sports community, both professional and amateur, and they often infect us to participate, to add what we can, even in the simple act of fandom.

The act of sharing without obligation and without keeping account can be very uplifting.

Uplifted and enthused -- those are the kinds of feelings every sports fan craves, without sometimes realizing they can be self-generated.

It can be so soul-stirring to share and to give. You may even find it's contagious.

A respected friend and a member of our sports community, for instance, for years has sent along an exceptionally generous donation to The Spirit of Christmas fund so that the Free Press and all of you can help the Christmas Cheer Board help those who have the simplest of needs.

And without fail, anonymity is insisted upon, for it's at the very heart of this person's generous and kind nature. And it never earns any recognition (apart from this cagey and heartfelt thank-you), which is also the point.

In sports, though, we are happy to hand out credit if that will stir you to help us. We'll be glad to include your name, acknowledging a contribution, in our next published The Spirit of Christmas list.

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You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments.
All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.